Sewage treatment slammed

TASMANIA'S sewage treatment plants are failing to meet modern environmental standards, according to a water and sewerage state of the industry report by the Tasmanian Economic Regulator.

The regulator said that it was concerned with the lack of progress of important capital works projects which were delayed or deferred by the state's three corporations, which has since been amalgamated into a single body.

In the report, the regulator noted that there was a reported increase in both the number and frequency of overflows on its sewer network for 2012-13 with 66 overflows in the North reported to the environmental regulator.

There were 945 reported sewer main breaks and chokes.

There was a large decrease in the number of complaints from Northern customers, with 32 complaints received in 2012-13, compared with 829 in 2011-12.

The report acknowledged that 1.1 per cent of the state's population received non-compliant drinking water.